02.18.08
It’s Not Just Stepmoms: New Stepdad Study Confirms Rocky Role Adjustments
A new British study of stepdads confirms that they often have a difficult time adjusting to their roles, and face conflict, especially with teenage boys. In a story on MS-NBC in south Florida, the struggles of stepdad John Vanek in San Jose with 13-year-old Ian are detailed. Initially thrilled with their decision to wed, Ian races to hig John – but months later the battles for authority and control began – with Ian testing John. It’s a story familiar to many stepfamilies.
The researchers had some interesting things to say:
While stepparents of either gender tend to be aloof, stepdads are more likely than stepmoms to fight with teenage children, especially if the child is a boy, says Erini Flouri, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Institute of Education at the University of London. Stepdads were more likely than biological fathers to see their stepteens as hyperactive or badly behaved, the researchers found.
Experts cited in the article also confirmed the importance of the bio-parent and stepparent being on the same page when it comes to discipline.
Child development experts say that teens often do behave worse for a stepdad than for a biological dad. If kids sense that their mother isn’t going to give unqualified support to the stepdad in an argument, they are more likely to resist efforts at discipline.
There are so many dynamics in a stepfamily. It’s great to see some research being done about stepfathers, as there is very little information available . A case in point – I have a few links for stepdads and books listed on my site. If you know about new links for stepdads, please drop me a note or post a comment.
